Factory vandals blow

PUBLISHED: 05:38 14 September 2006 | UPDATED: 09:52 24 May 2010

LITTLE more can be done to stop youths entering a derelict rubber factory in Worle, according to the firm which wants to redevelop it. Residents living near the old Fussells factory in Station Road say youngsters are gathering at the dangerous site and ca

LITTLE more can be done to stop youths entering a derelict rubber factory in Worle, according to the firm which wants to redevelop it.Residents living near the old Fussells factory in Station Road say youngsters are gathering at the dangerous site and causing trouble there. North Somerset councillors have called for it to be pulled down.Developer McCarthy & Stone has requested planning permission to redevelop the building, but says there is little more it can do to secure the site for the time being.In a letter to the Weston & Somerset Mercury, managing director James Poxon said: "We very much sympathise with local residents. "Unfortunately, there is little more we can do, particularly in terms of demolition, as the company does not actually own the site."We have acquired the land with a view to building retirement apartments, but legal transfer of ownership does not take place until planning consent is granted. The current owners are doing their best to make unauthorised access difficult. They have removed features which vandals may find inviting and we have helped as far as we can by providing security hoardings. "But the fact remains that a derelict building like this is a natural target for vandalism. The only permanent solution is to take it down."It has long been recognised that a rubber factory is out of place in this primary residential area and we are all working to achieve a more appropriate development there."We will act swiftly to complete the purchase and start work when transfer of ownership is complete. "In the meantime we will continue to co-operate with the owners as far as we can to minimise disruption.